Band Interview: Slowkiss

Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life bring you an interview with shoegaze-infused, ‘scream-in-your-face’ punk rock and ethereal-sounding pop band, Slowkiss.

1. How did you get started as a band?

Before SlowKiss I had several bands but in 2013 I started with the idea of having a new group where I could go back to my alternative roots and make heavier music. I wanted to do something new without style limits. Among other things, for example I used to have issues with composing love songs, because I always cared a lot about making lyrics that were more social and rebellious, but this time I wanted to break with all my paradigms and be free to say what I wanted and that’s how I decided to form Slowkiss, where I’m free to talk about whatever I want. From the beginning I also wanted us to be two women in the band, and it was like that for many years, but over time I had to become more flexible in that aspect and in the end play with whoever really wants to be there, that’s why now the stable band is only 3 although the door is open for a 4th SlowKiss to arrive in the future one day to stay.

2. How would you describe your sound?

Sometimes people make jokes that instead of SlowKiss we should be FastKiss haha When we go on stage we are like a steamroller, we start playing like the Ramones non-stop and we make an impact. We sound strong and powerful, but without losing the dynamics because we have a repertoire with varied songs, even a couple of “slow” ones that I think keep the show interesting and prevent people from getting bored on the journey that we take them on.

Our sound is like jumping into a mental pool to the music of your memories with a fresh and actual sound. It gives you flashbacks but without being a copy of anything, it’s more of a feeling and a musical vibe that takes you to the music of your past but feeling new.

3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?

As a band we have a great musical background, because each one separately comes from different schools, for example Richi is closer to hxc and emo, with bands like Nofx, Fugazi, Title Fight or Green Day, Ale loves the Los Angeles 80s scene with bands like Guns n Rose, Motley Crue or Metallica and he also really likes the English scene with bands like Queen, Oasis or Blur, for my part (elisa) I’m more alternative, I like the darker vibe, also metal, with bands like The Cure, Sonic Youth, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins , Deftones or NIN, to name a few and Pablo, the bassist we’re playing with these days, is closer to electronic rock or new wave like Depeche Mode or Joy Division and more alternative bands like My Bloody Valentine or Jesus and Mary Chain. So together we listen to a lot of very different music, we exchange and soak up a lot of each other’s influences and as a result we really like to play and mix styles to look for new sounds.

4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?

I think downloading or streaming has its pros and cons. I think the biggest problem is the regulation and the little return for the artists. When the internet started, it practically ended the music industry, which was forced to completely renew itself, but in my opinion they were never able to establish regulations that protected artists, but rather became a business for the digital platforms that now have an awful monopoly and get rich with our music while we get paid a pittance. In addition, there is a whole mafia of playlists and very little visibility for the smallest bands, in the end they are only contributing to the growth of the biggest artists. The good thing is that it allows people from all over the world, not only fans but bands, with access to internet to have the possibility much more immediately than before to connect with each other and be able to search and listen to music from anywhere in the world.

5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?

I love nature and spending time with my friends. We go a lot to concerts, shows of different kinds, alternative artist fairs and we also love the world of tattooing. But the truth is, in my life almost everything is about music, being in charge of an independent alternative band forces you to spend all your time working on it, you can’t stop creating, you have to constantly be composing new things, rehearsing, doing shows, touring, manufacturing merchandising, putting together the posters for the shows and social media, taking care of the instruments or even your outfits, doing live sessions or interviews or simply producing, managing and making connections for the band, it is a non-stop job. People are often mistaken thinking that it is a dream job or not even a job haha cause they do not know all the effort that is behind it to finally get to achieve something or make a living from music.

6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?

This year is coming intense with the new album. The next thing we are planning is the release of N.O.C.G.A, the 1st single from our new album K.O. At this moment we are in the last stage of post production finishing the mastering and we would be ready soon for delivery. As for tours, we are organizing to go back on tour to Europe this spring summer 23′ We hope to visit other countries and cities and continue working to reach everywhere with our music.

Links

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